Review

• Four Scriptural Verities About Governments: Legitimate; Provisional; Common; Accountable
• God governs the world through the Noahic Covenant
  • Three qualities: universal, preservative, temporary
  • Three big terms: 
    • Humans are to be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth
    • Humans are authorized to eat animals, in addition to plants; though they can’t eat the animal with lifeblood
    • There is a responsibility to enact retributive justice.  Lex Talionis. The state has authority to pursue protectionist ends, not perfectionist ends.
  • In fulfilling these terms, the various activities necessarily result in the institution of government.  

__________________

• This observation is justified in the remainder of the Old Testament, where we see government presented as legitimate, accountable, common.  
  • And the Noahic covenant is still in play, even after the events of the gospel.  Now the ascended Son of Man (Daniel 7) is ruling the world, but still through the Noahic covenant.  
  • In fact, Romans 13 probably deliberately echoes the Noahic covenant.
• Judicial authority delegated by God: 9:5,6/ 13, 1,2,4,6
• Coercion undergirds authority: “bloodshed”/ “the sword”
• Judicial authority for the purpose of enforcing retributive justice: 9:6/ 13:4
• Coercion backed authority to pursue protectionist [task of the state is to protect the citizen from being wronged] ends, not perfectionist [task of the state is to promote virtue in the citizen] ends 
• Morally modest (contrast Romans 13 with Romans 12) : do what is good, submit to magistrates, pay taxes
• Universal rather than particular or parochial
• Lacks a redemptive element – God is a creator and sustainer but not a redeemer

Transition: But without divine revelation, how will political communities know their responsibilities before God in fulfilling the Noahic Covenant?  How will they know what is right and wrong?    

Natural Law: God makes known the substance of his moral law to all people through the created order.  All peoples have been given sufficient information to know that there is a God, to know the difference between right and wrong, to be encouraged to do right, to know that they are responsible for the right and culpable for the wrong.

Three witnesses: 

At least three witnesses to this natural law: Deep conscience.  Recognition of design.  The fact of consequences.

Scriptural support: 

Gen 19:23-29

Genesis 20:9, 11

Genesis 34:7

Exodus 1:15-21

(the Case for midwife of the Hebrews)

• Why would Pharaoh entrust extermination of Israelites to Israelites?
• The racial slur works better coming out of Egyptian mouths

Leviticus 18:24-30; (20:23)

Deut 4:6 (Laws of Hammurabi)

1 Kings 4:30,31

Proverbs 6: 6-11

Proverbs 8: 15,16 – there is a close relationship between wisdom and the natural law.  Wisdom is a perception of how the world works, what sort of conduct is likely to be effective in it, carrying out that conduct. 

Proverbs 30:1-8 (maybe)

Proverbs 31:1-9 (probably)

Jeremiah 49:7 (Obadiah 8)

Ezekiel 28:4

Amos 6: 12, Jeremiah 8:7 – …the prophets do not simply condemn Israel for breaking God’s commandments but also seek to show that there is something bizarre and stupid about their sin. Sin bends against the order of reality. It cuts against the grain of the universe. Israel was violating God’s specially revealed decrees, indeed, but in doing so they were living out of accord with the structure of an intelligible universe. – VanDrunen

Romans 1: 18-20…1: 29-32

Romans 2:12-16

1 Thes 4:12; 1 Tim 3:7